Linking infections with cognitive impairment, mental illnesses

The high susceptibility to infectious diseases can have a far-reaching and unintended consequence. A growing body of research has tried to link infections with poor IQ and cognitive impairment, as well as with the development of several mental illnesses. In other words, the distress of an individual from an infection does not end upon treatment and recovery. Furthermore, this also means that infections might serve as a factor that triggers a decline in cognitive abilities or the onset of a particular type of mental illness.